Pokemon Romance!  Three Tales of Valentine's Day!
by Ikitsumi
Summary: Three one-shots with the pairings that I've created out of my Pokemon teams.  Primarily using my HeartGold team.  FeraligatrxTogekiss, SandslashxBellossom, and JolteonxFlareon.  All for Valentine's Day!
1. Always my Best Friend

**First off in my Valentine-themed Pokemon stories, we have Kureno and Hiyoko, my favorite starter and his ray of sunshine in the form of a Togekiss. This is the longer of the oneshots I have planned so far, but I don't know how the last one will turn out.**

**I don't own Pokemon, but these Pokemon are fixed to my liking. They exist in my (MIA) HeartGold game.**

* * *

"Hey Kureno, I'm glad that today's so clear and warm," Hiyoko trilled, the Togekiss perched on the back of the Feraligatr's neck as he walked along the fountain's edge in Johto's National Park.

Naturally, he didn't mind so long as she could keep still, which she was doing a good job of despite her attention span. The Feraligatr knew that the Togekiss on his neck was always in spirits that soared to great heights whenever the weather was good like this. In order to see this happiness, Kureno always looked forward to nice days.

"What about you, Kureno? Doesn't the weather make you feel great?" the dove-like Pokemon asked, looking down at his head even though she couldn't see his face.

"It's nice, yeah," Kureno replied shortly, tilting his head upwards just a little bit to look at her. He could see the edge of one of her wings and caught a glimpse of the red and blue-tipped crown-like spikes of her head. It always gave her a regal appearance. Kureno looked back down to see where he was going, pausing when he felt Hiyoko moving around again.

"Kureno, brace yourself!" Hiyoko chirped, her tone of voice suddenly happy and childlike. She felt Kureno tense up, then pushed herself off and flapped her wings, becoming airborne within seconds. She immediately raced off ahead of Kureno, stopping when she didn't see him following. "Come on, let's race or something," she sighed. "The wind is perfect for soaring around," she added, giving him a bright smile.

Those smiles are what Kureno felt could uplift his own spirits as well. Especially since they were the first two on Viccy's team while traveling in Johto, their friendship was irreplaceable. Whenever the crocodile lost a battle, Hiyoko would always be there to console him instead of allowing him to violently take it out on others. They both evolved together: Viccy had them evolve at the same time, respectively, into Croconaw and Togetic. Nothing changed except for their abilities and their looks...and perhaps Kureno's feelings for Hiyoko. He was somewhat glad that the dove was as oblivious and dense as she was, but it also troubled him because she couldn't understand the feelings that were in his head. Well, she shouldn't have been able to understand them if they were only in his head.

"Hiyoko, if it's a nice day, then we should relax like Kireme and Rena, right?" Kureno suggested, pointing towards the shiny duo that consisted of a Sandslash and a Bellossom. However, Rena wasn't relaxing, but was practicing twirling around. The clumsy Bellossom almost tripped when Kureno looked at her, earning a small chuckle from Kireme. "Well...at least Kireme is relaxing," Kureno said once he turned back around. The reply he got back was a pair of glimmering brown eyes and a slightly pouty lip. Kureno sighed, then looked around for another excuse. "Hiyoko, it'd be nice to have a race, but it's kind of crowded around here on the ground. You'd have an advantage with no obstacles," he said once he realized it, "but...if you want to fly, I'll be here watching you," he gave her an assuring smile, which seemed to satisfy the bird. He went to the shiny duo and sat beside them, looking up at Hiyoko twirling about gracefully.

"She's quite a handful, isn't she?" Kireme smiled slightly when Kureno leaned back and sighed.

"Definitely...but it's worth it. She's important to me," Kureno replied, eyes following Hiyoko as she flew in a spiral.

"In more ways than one," Rena pointed out, waving up at Hiyoko warmly and turning her attention back to Kireme and Kureno. "If Viccy was interested in those Contest things, you two would make a really great pair. You do even now," she said happily, returning to her self-practice.

"I can say the same about you two," Kureno told Rena, a smile crossing his face when Rena and Kireme's faces both grew slightly pink. "The teamwork that you two show surprises me. Outside of battles, Kireme helps you to practice your dancing. Both of you are dead obvious about it," he said, then gazed back up at Hiyoko.

"I wish that she would notice though, that you care," Rena pouted a little bit, pausing in the middle of one of her spins.

"She does notice that I care," Kureno raised an eyebrow, looking at the flower questioningly, who had turned around fully to face him.

"I meant as more than a friend, of course," Rena put a hand on her hip, winking at Kureno. "When Zutori," she said, ignoring Kureno's quiet growl, "came to be part of the team, your feelings really showed so much. I thought for sure that she'd see how you feel! But her head seemed to be floating in Altaria wings the entire time," she sighed, crossing her arms.

"If she doesn't notice, that's fine with me," Kureno sighed, looking back again at Hiyoko. "She's my friend and always will be. At least I'll never lose that connection," he added quietly.

"Strong words coming from you," Kireme glanced at Kureno with an inquiring expression, "but you're never going to be happy unless she knows, right?"

Kureno didn't answer, but instead stood up, smiled, and allowed Hiyoko to return and perch on the back of his neck.

~~xx...クレノｘヒヨコ...xx~~

"Valentine's Day? What kind of a day is that?" Kureno raised an eyebrow as Rena twirled around happily on top of one of the benches in the Pokemon Center.

"It's supposedly a romantic day where someone lets the person they love know about their feelings," Rena said in a dreamy voice, the pink petals of her head flowers seemingly fluttering as well. "Viccy was talking about it before we left the park. She immediately went into one of those phases where she was making Zutori practice his Attract," she shook her head slightly. "Poor Zutori has it tough," she shrugged.

"No offense Rena, but I don't give a damn about that stupid condor," Kureno sighed again, shutting his eyes for a few seconds. "So do you know more about this Valentine's Day?" he asked her.

"Rash as always," Rena sighed, then her eyes moved up to meet his. "If you want to know more, it's actually better to ask Inferno about it," she replied, making Kureno's eyes open wide in shock. "Yes, you heard me right. Inferno. The Flareon with the same personality as you," the flower told him.

"Thanks," Kureno said, then walked over to Inferno, who wasn't that far from Rena. "Hey Inferno, Rena said that you know something about this day, it's-"

"Valentine's Day, yeah," the sassy Flareon replied, flicking her tail a bit. "Are you going to confess to Hiyoko?" she asked Kureno.

"What about you and Storm?" he retorted, making her recoil in mild shock, then sighed and shook his head. "Sorry," he said hastily.

"'S fine..." Inferno said shortly, then slammed a paw on the ground. "That damn Jolteon, I don't know what to do about him!" She snarled.

"Well, we're both in the same situation, obviously. I swear to Arceus that Storm and Hiyoko must be related in terms of complete obliviousness," Kureno groaned, slumping down and looking up at the ceiling hopelessly.

"If you plan on confessing your feelings...why not get her a gift?" Inferno suggested after kneading her paw carefully on the ground to get rid of the shock of the powerful contact.

"A gift?" Kureno asked, looking at her with his golden eyes.

"Yeah, like...you know, how Storm always gives me roses," Inferno pointed out, referring to the uncountable instances that burned roses lay between her and a teary-eyed Storm.

"_He's more hard-headed than a Cranidos,_" Kureno thought to himself. "I see," he said, nodding a little bit.

"Knowing Storm, I'm gonna be showered with them..." Inferno shuddered. "What he fails to realize is that the smell annoys me unless it's a certain type of rose," she muttered.

"I'll leave you to think about that," Kureno said, then stood up. "Speaking of which, when is Valentine's Day?"

Inferno glanced at the sun outside, which indicated that it was evening. "It's tomorrow."

~~xx...クレノｘヒヨコ...xx~~

"_What would be good to give to her?_" Kureno gnashed his teeth together in frustration. With the knowledge that he only had the rest of this day—no, evening—to prepare something to give to Hiyoko really riled him up. He was back at the National Park, having gone on his own with Viccy knowing that he could take care of himself. He walked to the fountain, sitting in front of it and looking around. The weather was getting cloudier, making him frown. No wonder that Hiyoko's good mood had slightly evaporated.

A couple of Sunkern, followed by a Sunflora, walked past, the Sunflora carrying different types of flowers. He looked at them with some interest as one of the Sunkern launched a Leech Seed to allow the vines to extend out. The Sunflora cut the vine and stripped it of its leaves, then began weaving the flowers along it and tying off the ends.

When Kureno saw what it was, he stood up. "E-excuse me," Kureno said as he cautiously approached the Sunflora and Sunkern. "What you're making...can you show me how to make it?"

A few hours passed, which involved Kureno holding intense frustration in, several "tests" lying about, and finally one that he was satisfied with.

"Hey mister, are you planning on giving it to someone?" one of the Sunkern asked with a mischievous smile.

"You could say that," Kureno's face flushed a bit.

"It looks like you worked really hard on it," the other Sunkern commented happily.

"I hope she likes it," Kureno smiled softly.

"It'll get kind of messed up if you handle it around like that though," the Sunflora said, then waved one of her leafy arms at a nearby Caterpie, which came over and began spinning a pouch. A few minutes passed before the Sunflora touched it, satisfied with its dryness. "It'll be better to carry it in here," she told Kureno, who put it inside of the bag. "We'll be leaving now, thank you for your help," she said daintily, standing up and beginning to walk off with the two Sunkern.

"W-Wait! What about..." Kureno's voice faltered, then he began to stand up.

"You only asked if we could show you how to make it. We never agreed to let you keep it," the Sunflora raised an eyebrow, then nodded at the Caterpie. On cue, the Caterpie used String Shot to tie Kureno's legs where he stood.

All of the frustration from earlier was beginning to come back to him. "You-" he snarled, charging up an Ice Beam, which caused the Sunflora to back off nervously. Upon seeing her face full of fear, he felt the warmth of two wings wrap around him and make him stop. The Sunflora and the two Sunkern, along with Caterpie, took this opportunity to run off.

The Feraligatr let go of the Ice Beam and slashed at the strings that bound his legs. "Thanks Hiyoko, you stopped me again-" he said, turning around to face Hiyoko. There was no one there.

"_Was that...my imagination...?_" he thought, then roared and fell to his knees, slamming a scaly fist on the ground and squeezing his eyes shut. "Dammit Hiyoko..." he growled, feeling the rain hit his back. "_What am I supposed to do now?_" He gritted his teeth together again, hopelessness taking him over.

A few minutes passed before he stood up, letting the rain wash over his face. There was no gift to give her now. "Hiyoko..." he said hollowly. "_I'm sorry..._"

"E-excuse me...mister..." came a small voice, making Kureno look down.

One of the Sunkern had come back to him. "I-I'm sorry that Mama took what you made away," she fidgeted, looking down shamefully.

"It's not your fault, kid," Kureno sighed.

"But you still remember how to make one, right?" The little Sunkern asked hopefully. When Kureno nodded, she beamed. "You can make one that's better than before," she said, launching another Leech Seed to allow the vines to extend, then took the leaves off herself. "This is the only one I can make because I'm not as good as Mama or my brother," she said with a hint of sadness, "so please, make a beautiful one!" Despite her tone of voice, her eyes were full of the opposite emotion.

Kureno took the vine and crouched down to look at the Sunkern. "Thank you. I'll make the most beautiful one for her," he smiled at the child, patting her leaf and going to the flower patch nearby to find the best ones he could.

~~xx...クレノｘヒヨコ...xx~~

"What took you? You're wet!" Hiyoko gasped upon seeing Kureno rush into the Pokemon Center. She flew upwards, landing on the back of his neck again and nestling into it. It shocked the poor dove to feel how cold his scales were.

"Viccy was about to go out herself," Rena frowned, then looked towards Kureno's hands, which were loosely closed.

"Get over here and get warmed up," Kireme told Kureno, practically dragging the crocodile further into the Center, close to the heating system and Inferno.

"Reckless...luckily you're a Water type, so it shouldn't have bothered you..." Inferno looked up at Kureno from the corner of her eyes.

"_Stupid kid,_" Zutori thought, not even remotely close to the crocodile.

"Kureno..." came the dove's voice, the sound of it shocking Kureno, prompting him to look up. "Kureno, you're so cold...you made us worry being out so long..." Hiyoko continued, making guilt sting Kureno. With that coming from Hiyoko, along with her departing his neck, it hurt far worse than Zutori's choice of words. No, the pain was far more stronger than losing the original gift, or the disappointment of losing in battles, or the loneliness he could see if he lost her.

His head jolted up as the clock struck midnight.

"Kureno, today!" Inferno barked, jumping up with her ears swishing upwards.

The Feraligatr turned around so quickly that Hiyoko was taken aback, the tears actually falling from her eyes. Even though he knew that the tears were because she was worried, he didn't want to see them anymore.

"Hiyoko, today is Valentine's Day, so...I...I made this for you," Kureno said, holding out the floral crown to Hiyoko. It was bigger and more grand than the one that he made earlier. It was speckled with blue and red flowers, but on the two sides, apart from each other, a large blue flower and a large red flower were placed.

"Hiyoko, you're my best friend, and has been since Viccy obtained us because we've known each other since the beginning. When I lost a battle, you were there to stop me from taking out my anger. I know that I'm really stubborn too, and because of that, I sometimes think that you're too good to be there for me like you always have been. But Hiyoko..." he said, his voice breaking here and there. He paused, then took a breath. "You're always going to be important to me, just like a queen upon her throne." With that, he placed the crown upon her head, the flowers complimenting the colored spikes and her body spots.

"K-Kureno..." Hiyoko squeaked, her voice rising in pitch, "s-so you...you..."

"You're not only my best friend, Hiyoko. You're the one I always have loved," Kureno confirmed.

Hiyoko took to the air again, landing on him once more and snuggling into him. "You too," she said softly, then smiled warmly. "You too, Kureno," she said, burying her face in the back of his neck for a few seconds, then lifting her head up and kissing his cheek.

Outside of the window, Sunflora and her two children were watching fondly.

"It's beautiful, mama," the girl said, beaming.

"Yeah, he did way better this time," her brother remarked.

Sunflora looked as she saw Hiyoko kiss Kureno's cheek, and smiled. "That's what love does."

~~xx...クレノｘヒヨコ...xx~~

"He's such a brave soul!" Rena spun around after she saw the kiss, landing gracefully in Kireme's arms. "H-Hey, I landed without falling that time!" She said in surprise, looking up at Kireme with a growing smile, who returned it with just as much happiness. "I-I'll try it again!"

"Later today, my flower," Kireme told Rena as he looked to Kureno and Hiyoko, winking at the embarrased crocodile. "We have all day."


	2. Dancing in my Memories

**Eek, this one's much shorter and has a tiny ounce of angst to it. But I'm still going with the romance-theme since Valentine's Day is so close. There's one more pairing I have planned for these one-shots, so guess who it is? None other than our fiery-headed Inferno and her complicated relationship with a Jolteon who's got a passion as powerful as his Thunder.**

**Yes, I just went there. *shot***

**Now to the Kireme and Rena!**

**I don't own Pokemon, but I did fix up the Pokemon to my liking. They exist in my (MIA) HeartGold game.**

* * *

"One-two, one-two, one-two–"

"Eyaaahh!"

For what seemed like the twentieth time within those thirty minutes, Rena didn't spin far enough to land into Kireme's awaiting arms, resulting in the shiny Bellossom lying flat on her back on the ground. She should have been used to the pain by now, but each time her body met the cold floor instead of her friend's arms, she couldn't feel anything but frustration.

"Rena, would you like to try one more time?" came Kireme's calm voice, interrupting Rena's thoughts.

The flower opened her eyes to see the shiny Sandslash's face above hers. "It's always that spin," Rena huffed, sitting up and crossing her arms.

"You're almost there," Kireme assured her with a smile, holding out one of his clawed hands to help her up. She took it, both of their grips firm as Rena was lifted to her lower petals.

"Just one more go, and then we'll call it a night," Kireme told Rena, who nodded in agreement.

Rena took his hand again, slowly swaying towards him and then twirling slowly around him. It felt amazing to her when the Sandslash's strong arms lifted her into the air and lightly allowed her to come back to the ground. Both of them spun outwards, away from each other, their hands still entwined. When the initial tug game, Rena came spinning towards Kireme, ready to be caught by him. As she spun, she caught a glimpse of the ivory-white claws that were there to catch her.

"_Almost there, almost there, just a little bit more...!_"

She stopped spinning and leaned back, her face paling when she could see Kireme's shocked expression.

"Not again!"

~~..xx..キレメｘレナ..xx..~~

"Kireme...I guess I'm just not cut out for this..." Rena sighed as she sat down, resting her elbows on her lower leaves. "Maybe it's because I'm too big or something?" She wondered out loud, fluttering the tips of her lower leaves..

The shiny Sandslash looked over to the sulking Bellossom. A unique trait of hers, other than being "shiny", was that she was large for her size. Most Bellossom were smaller than Oddish (Rena was a normal-sized Oddish), but unlike other Bellossom, Rena was just slightly larger than a Gloom; the drastic opposite. In these aspects, she really stood out, but it was just another reason for Kireme to have noticed Rena.

However, he thought that it was more than just her appearance. Given her innocent and mature face, her childish quirks appealed to him. Sure, she had a mischievous side, but it just added to the many things that Kireme adored in the flower. His attraction had only grown when he was chosen by the rest of the team to be the one to teach her how to dance, given that the distraught Bellossom was unable to dance.

It was perhaps a result of her growth: there wasn't as much strength in her lower leaves, giving her a lack of athletic ability compared to others of her species. Kireme figured this could be the case, but the silent Sandslash had other thoughts on his mind as to why she couldn't dance. Rather...painful thoughts.

"It could be, but what have I been telling you?" he asked with a smile.

"That together, we'll make up for it," Rena replied, giving Kireme the smile that he loved the most from her: one full of determination.

~~..xx..キレメｘレナ..xx..~~

"Kireme, you look bothered...that's rare," Hiyoko told Kireme as everyone prepared to go to bed. The Pokemon Center's lights were all flickering off by the second as the dove turned to him.

"I'm just tired is all, no worries," Kireme nodded, smiling at her to cover up his outward thoughts.

Hiyoko still didn't seem too convinced. "You are busy much of the time. Other than battling, you are our team's mediator, and you also give Rena dance lessons. It could be stress...so take a good rest, alright?" she told him, patting his head and walking over to Kureno to nestle beside the large teal crocodile.

Kireme let out a short sigh, then walked over to Rena, who was halfway between consciousness and sleep.

"Rena?" Kireme asked gently, looking into Rena's eyes when she jolted up.

"Hnggh—wha?" Rena replied loudly, looking back at the Sandslash and rubbing one of her eyes.

"_So childlike, but so cute at the same time_."

"Go to sleep, OK?" Kireme asked her, smiling when she nodded and closed her eyes, her head petals curling inwards slightly. He sighed again and looked out the window up at the moon. The light reflected in his eyes as the hurtful memories went through his mind again.

"_It's all my fault."  
_  
~~..xx..キレメｘレナ..xx..~~

"_Kireme, I'll let you handle this fight!" Viccy called as she saw the shiny Oddish. "Poison Sting!" she said to the green-hued Sandshrew. _

_The feisty pangolin ran towards the Oddish, hurling the poisonous shards that formed from his claws at the bright green bulb. They made contact, giving him a satisfied smirk, and upon seeing the plant fall, he stopped to a skid by it._

_The Oddish stood back up with surprising speed, wincing just a little bit. However, the beady eyes upon its face were full of fight. It took a step backwards and spun around to run again._

"_Kireme, don't let it get away! Scratch!" The girl called, pulling out an empty Pokeball to catch the Oddish._

_The pangolin obeyed, his normally blue eyes flashing in the moonlight. He leaped up into the air and landed in front of the Oddish again, his claws swiping out at surprising speed._

"_No, not Fury Swipes!" Viccy cried, fearful of what could happen. "Kireme, return!"_

_The last thing that Kireme saw before the red light engulfed him, his eyes wide in disbelief, were shredded leaves and a deep red gash on the Oddish's leg, which stuck out against the Oddish's...her...body._

Kireme looked again to Rena, placing a hand gently upon her head. His claws fit perfectly to the shape of her form. He would take all of the blame, just like Grey's Ditto did for the birth of Midnight and Seer, and just how Ikazuchi did for Makainu.

"_Your attitude's changed," Hiyoko told Kireme as she munched on an apple slice._

"_Really?" Kireme asked bitterly, casting his gaze downwards._

"_Kireme, you've changed. I've seen that you're not giving it your all in battles anymore, but you have to remember that not everyone can fully control their abilities. I have to stop Kureno from doing such things sometimes," she told the pangolin. "And besides," she smiled, "Rena recovered very well! She's still trying to get adjusted to walking, but she's doing better!"_

"_Rena...that's her name...?" Kireme asked quietly._

"_Yep," Hiyoko chirped, then frowned as Kireme stood up. "Where are you going?" the Togepi asked him._

_Kireme didn't answer her, but instead went over to Rena, whose head leaves had grown back fully as if they had never been damaged._

"_Hiya," the Oddish greeted Kireme unexpectedly: what was unexpected was that her voice was rather cheerful. "You're Kireme, right? You put up a great battle," she smiled widely at him, standing up with a slight wince to test out her leg. "But because of that, I have to cut back on dance practice," she grinned and gave him a slightly sour look._

"_Dance practice?" Kireme asked, looking at her with a puzzled expression and still surprised at her talkativeness._

"_Yeah, because I totally want to be a Bellossom someday, so I've been practicing dancing for a long time! What do you think? I can be a great dancer someday, right?" She asked with the bubbly voice that he expected from Hiyoko, the sour expression from earlier disappearing instantly._

"_S-Sure, I guess...if you put your mind to it," Kireme replied uncertainly._

"_You should learn how to dance too," Rena told him happily. "It relieves a lot of stress," she added, "and I really recommend it so you can take out extra energy."_

"Mmm...Kireme, teach me that spin again," Rena mumbled in her sleep, leaning against the Sandslash's shoulder and snuggling into it.

"It's nighttime, Rena. You need to sleep," Kireme smiled softly, his face growing warm from the flower's affection. He used the arm that was on her head to pull her closer to him, chuckling a little bit when one of her hands drifted towards his free hand to hold it. He looked at her peaceful face that was unplagued by the painful memories he had to relive every time the shiny duo had a dance session.

"You need to sleep too," Rena replied drowsily, "and by the way...Happy Valentine's Day...I love you,"

"_I know that you'd tell me to let go of the past and move on, but I can't ever forgive myself for what I did,_" he thought, looking to her slightly thin lower leaves. "_It was my fault that you can't dance like any other Bellossom. That's initially the reason I began to teach you to dance again. I want to see it. I want to see your dream achieved_."

"Of course," Kireme nodded, kissing the flower's forehead. "You too. Good night, Rena."

When Rena could dance like a Bellossom again, Kireme wouldn't ask for anything more.

~~..xx..キレメｘレナ..xx..~~

However, not far from the dancing duo that glimmered, a certain fiery-tempered fox was eyeing a rose, undisturbed by it as much as she was with others.


	3. My Gullible Idiot Forever

**Whoohoo, final part! Finally out, even though I said I would have had it out last night...oh well.**

**Anyways, I'm really proud of this one! It turned out longer than I expected, haha! It has the most favorites on my deviantART page out of the three fanfics.**

**I don't own Pokemon, but I did fix up the Pokemon to my liking. They exist in my (MIA) HeartGold game.**

* * *

The heavy scent of other roses had always irritated her nose, ever since she was an Eevee. She was in Ecruteak City at the time that a man she met at the Pokemon Center took her back to his house in Goldenrod City, very glad that he bypassed the National Park in order to get back. That park, although beautiful on nice days, contained so many of the flowers that she didn't care for. The man had given her to a girl who was traveling with a Totodile, Togepi, Sandshrew, and Oddish, becoming the fifth member of the team. It wasn't long after that her new trainer evolved her into the Flareon she was now, and to be introduced to another Eevee and her friends and family, all from Johto or Kanto.

This was when she met that gullible and joyous Jolteon. His name was Storm, and he came from Celadon City in Kanto. Even if he was captured long before her, he and her were actually around the same age. Their personalities, however, didn't mix so well. Impatience combined with gullibility always resulted in a violent temper. To make matters worse for the fire fox, the Jolteon liked her and showed it! She knew he meant no harm, but she was fed up with him and his idiocy.

Vee, the motherly figure, although still an Eevee herself, pointed out many times to Inferno that Storm's gullibility and stubborn loyalty were his faults, just as her faults were impatience and rashness were hers.

Inferno couldn't count how many times she'd rejected Storm's advances. Being the same age, she knew that he didn't have anything malicious in mind, but her pride wouldn't allow a boy to take over her battling spirit and weaken her. The girl wanted to prove her toughness, and she'd do just that without the distraction of a boy.

Unfortunately, the rash fox didn't know how far was enough to where she was going to regret a lot of it.

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

"Inferno, it's Valentine's Day! So I was wondering, can we go-"

"No, Storm."

Once again, Storm's feelings were burned, just like the rose that laid in between him and the girl of his dreams. This was one of his rare chances to see her because Viccy decided to pause in traveling in order to get in contact with some people, so she had asked her Gym assistant to send her some of her Pokemon from the Gym.

"We can get Viccy to take us to that Underground place and we can probably get you or I a haircut, they do a really good job at trimming fur," Storm said happily, "or we can go and visit the Department Store and just wander around, maybe Viccy can buy us some treats, huh? Oh, there's that flower shop-"

"Storm, I said no, alright?" Inferno growled, her temper starting to flare up. "If you want to take me anywhere, take me to a battleground and fight," she told the lightning dog, flexing her paws and stretching. "Viccy hasn't been doing much battling recently and I can't let my muscles go to waste," she told him, casting him a glare.

"I know just the place!" Storm told her quickly, making her jump. The reaction from the two Eeveelutions garnered the temporary interest of Kureno, Hiyoko, Kireme, and Rena, all of whom were in discussion about plans for the day.

"Wait, what?" She asked, skeptical about Storm's knowledge of Goldenrod City. He didn't grow up in Johto, much less travel around in it. "Then where is it?" She asked flatly.

"Didn't you know? In the Underground, there's this hallway that's actually a huge space, it's perfect for battle!" Storm replied, a big smile on his face.

"Is it that photography area?" Inferno asked, giving him her usual unimpressed look as he flattened his ears in embarrassment. "Thought so," she sighed, shaking her head. "I know this place better than you, Storm. The only area we could battle would be the Gym, that's the safest place to do so," she told him.

"Then I bet Viccy can take us there!" Storm said, skipping off to his trainer to go see if she would follow.

Inferno sighed again. "That idiot doesn't know when to quit..." However, her ears swished in surprise when Storm came back beside Viccy, who was chatting with Whitney on her Pokegear.

"Let's have our battle then," Storm said with a hint of determination in his eyes. He was plotting something.

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

"Storm, I want to let you know now. If you win this match, then I'll let you take me out today," Inferno barked to him from across the field. She smiled to herself because this would be an easy win: Storm never hurt her. "Are the conditions alright?" She asked him.

Storm nodded, a mysterious smile forming across his own face.

"Start!" Viccy shouted, sitting in the benches nearby.

"I'm not going easy on you!" Inferno snarled with a grin, rushing towards Storm with fire-covered fangs. She leapt up to bite him, determined not to let the electric dog win. Just as she was ready to let loose her Fire Fang, he dashed out of the way. The impact on the ground made her grunt, but her toughness made her stand right back up. Inferno proceeded to open her mouth and shoot a Flamethrower towards the dog, who again, moved out of the way and appeared behind her. Inferno retaliated by turning around and biting onto Storm's back.

Storm yelped, arching his back downwards so that he could pop it right back out to knock into her head and make her let go. "That's not enough to stop me," he told her, wincing from the pain.

"How's this for you?" Inferno shouted, her body flashing white for a few seconds before unleashing Overheat.

Storm moved out of the way again, but not before becoming grazed with the flames.

"Hold still, you damn dog!" Inferno growled, aiming another Flamethrower at him. She slammed a paw into the ground when he moved out of the way again. So far, the only attack that had worked was Overheat and Bite, but her chin was still throbbing from the way that he got her off with Bite, so...

Storm's fur was singed from the flames of the Overheat, but not as badly as before. In fact, he noticed that he was winning. "_Just as planned._"

"Get back here!" Inferno jumped towards him again, preparing a Flamethrower. What came out though, was smoke. "What?" She snarled, then began changing her attack into Bite. However, her reaction was too slow for the speed-oriented dog, who moved yet again and allowed her to crash into the ground.

"Ready to give up yet?" Storm asked, eying the fire fox with worry.

"No way," Inferno spat, trying to prepare Fire Fang to no avail.

"Inferno, you're wasting your own body strength trying to create what doesn't exist," Storm warned her as he took a step closer.

"I am NOT losing!" Inferno shot back, jumping at him with Bite instead, once again hitting the ground when he dashed in the opposite direction. She tried to stand back up, but her legs gave out on her. Just as the dog warned her, she was using up her strength and becoming slower and slower.

"Actually you are," Storm pointed out, the answer being sand thrown into his face. He stumbled back, trying to wipe it out of his eyes, his ears flattening as he did so.

"There we go," Inferno grinned, standing back up. However, that didn't last: her legs gave out on her again. "_N-No! I'm tougher than this! I won't lose this battle!_"

Storm looked at her again, then his eyes widened as Inferno spoke to him.

"If you want to win, you have to knock me out," the fire fox told him, raising an eyebrow as to what he would do. Never before had he hurt her.

Until the impact of a Thunderbolt knocked her out.

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

"D-damn...I didn't think he'd actually do it..." Inferno growled as she jumped off of the stretcher in front of Hiyoko and Rena.

"Well, you're the one who taunted him," Rena pointed out, earning a glare from the Flareon.

"You know...you had some conditions you agreed on before the match, right?" Hiyoko chirped, also being glared at by the rash fox. "Looks like someone's waiting," she smiled, nudging Inferno towards Storm, who was waiting by the entrance to the Pokemon Center.

"Both of you, listen. We only have a few hours before I sent Storm back to the Gym because I have to head to the Indigo Plateau. Let's make the most of it, alright? I don't know when my next break will be," Viccy told the duo. Only Storm nodded eagerly, nudging Inferno as they made their way outside.

"Alright...first stop will be the Department Store," Viccy told them, leading the two Eeveelutions into the large building nearby. It was unusually busy today, and to Inferno's horror, there was pink everywhere. Across the shelves, in banners, and even the uniforms of the employees.

The elevator ride was painstakingly long because the fire fox had never liked crowded spaces. As soon as the doors burst open, she leapt out and took a breath.

"Inferno, this way," Viccy said, coaxing the Flareon towards a shelf full of treats. "You're getting stronger, although Storm managed to outwit you," she chuckled a bit, "but I'll let you choose what you want, alright?"

Inferno stared at the various treats. These were strange pastries that Meadow and Blizzard told her about, all the way out in Sinnoh.

"Surprised, huh? It's a Valentine's special," Viccy giggled, then looked as Storm nosed out a bag of Mild Poffins. "Geez, always loving the expensive things...oh well, it's fine," she patted Storm's head, picking up the bag.

Inferno looked back to the Poffins, sniffing the various scents in the air. The Poffins made from Mago berries smelled too sweet for her. The Figy berry Poffins made her cringe from the way that the spice attacked her nose. The Iapapa berry Poffins' scent reminded her of rotten Moomoo Milk, which, as memory served, wasn't pleasant at all. Those Poffins that were made by the Nanab berries didn't appeal to her at all; she almost gagged.

"Looks like you'll want these ones," Storm said, reaching up and pulling down a bag of Poffins made from Wiki berries.

Inferno sniffed them again, smiling slightly at the scent.

"Alright, this looks good," Viccy said, picking up the bag and going to the counter to pay.

Storm followed happily, his stubby tail wagging as Viccy opened a bag of the Mild Poffins and fed one to him.

"Here, Inferno," Viccy said as she handed the fire fox a Dry Poffin. Inferno took it, chewing on it and extremely satisfied with the flavor.

"You know, even though I don't do Contests most of the time, when I go back to Sinnoh, I can make some," Viccy smiled, and the foxes nodded eagerly as they finished. "OK, next stop is the Underground!"

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

"Smile, Inferno!"

Inferno's face didn't budge. The girl wasn't appreciative of photography.

"Viccy's paying for it, even though they're supposed to be free photos! It's not nice for you to spoil it..."

"Why is it only you and me?" Inferno grumbled, leering at Storm.

"Because everyone else is at the Pokemon Center right now," Storm pointed out, resting his head against Inferno's fluffy collar as the cameraman snapped a photo.

"You're acting like a lovesick puppy," Inferno rolled her eyes.

"That's because I am," Storm said with a bubbly voice, much like Hiyoko.

"Great, and I thought dealing with Hiyoko was bad."

Storm looked at the cameraman and back to Inferno, raising an eyebrow. He raised a paw and prodded her side a couple of times, making her emit a squeak. His face broke out into a smile as he continued tickling her, gleeful when Viccy let out a squeal as well.

"N-No, stoooop!" Inferno laughed, falling onto her back and trying to swat Storm away.

"No can do," Storm replied in a sing-song voice, then tripped and fell on top of her when her leg caught onto his and made him fall.

Click!

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

Storm was wincing from a knot on his head, sighing as Inferno refused to look at him and Viccy was admiring the photos.

"Alright, the last stop is the National Park!"

"WHAT?" Inferno snarled, baring her fangs at Storm, who flattened his ears and hid behind Viccy quickly. "You both of all people and Pokemon know I hate that place!" The fox yelled, her temper back to a dangerous level.

"Y-You don't have to come inside the park, but I have to go there for something..." Storm said quietly, silent as Inferno continued to yell at him about scents and flowers. Tears began to fill his eyes.

"Don't give me that crying crap, I've seen it too many times-" Inferno started, but her eyes widened as Storm ran off towards said at a blinding speed, leaving teardrops in his wake.

"Inferno, you'd better go get him, it's your fault he's upset!" Viccy told Inferno, who shrunk down upon hearing Viccy's voice turn into one that struck her into disappointment.

Following her trainer's command, she headed to the dreaded park.

The place was beautiful, but the scents were what bothered her. There were roses everywhere, but all of them had that annoying scent that hurt her nose. She gagged a bit before wandering farther into the area, letting her breath loose as she neared the fountain, since the water's flow would keep the air away.

"Storm!" Inferno called, ready to get out of this place. She looked out of the corner of her eye when yellow came into view, but it was only a Sunkern. She looked the other way, where Pidgey were strutting by. "Has anyone seen a Jolteon around here?" She barked, causing the Pokemon to look her way.

"I saw one over there," the Sunkern said, pointing both of its leaves farther into the park.

"Thanks," Inferno said, dashing off in the direction. As she moved closer, the scent of nauseating roses became less and less prominent and turned more...sweet. It was a familiar scent that Inferno recognized right away.

"I knew you'd come if Viccy made you," Storm said happily as he held a pink rose in his mouth. In front of him were a bunch of the same roses, but being different from the rest of the park in the fact that they all had a very pleasant aroma to the Flareon. "These roses only bloom on Valentine's Day, you know?" Storm told Inferno, who looked at him in surprise. "If they could grow every time I saw you, I'd give them to you instead of the ones you hate so much," he said with a bit of a sad smile. "And remember, Inferno? The last time you got one of these?"

Inferno could only stare at him. The last time that they were together in the park like this, the only other time, was Valentine's Day a long time ago.

"So, here you go! A rose for my Inferno, just like every time I see you," Storm smiled, dropping the rose in front of her.

"Y-you idiot..." Inferno sniffed, running at him and Headbutting him.

Storm laughed as he laid on his back in mild pain. "You're feeling better now, definitely," he grinned, knowing that she only Headbutted him whenever she couldn't understand her emotions, which he could tell was affection.

"And you're a masochist," she retorted, rolling her eyes as he gave her one of his customary, sickeningly-happy, wide smiles.

Being the stubborn girl she was, she never acknowledged affection, even though it was as clear as the result of Kureno's Ice Beam. Naturally, it was due to being young and refusing to let affection get in the way of training.

She could make an exception today though.

~~...x.インフェルノxストーム.x...~~

"Oi, shaddup!" Inferno growled, blushing as Hiyoko, Kireme, and Rena laughed over the photo taken at the studio.

"Maybe I should tickle you too," Hiyoko said, the tips of her wings twitching as a smile formed on her face.

"You wouldn't dare," Inferno said, her ears flattening as she leered at the dove.

"Dinnertime, guys!" Viccy called, and the three against Inferno groaned.

"Just when we were going to have more fun...we'll do it later!" Rena said as she skipped off with Kireme.

"The Indigo Plateau always has good food available!" Hiyoko trilled as she went to go find Kureno, the flower crown from his midnight gift upon her head.

Inferno sighed, slumping down for a few seconds. She eyed the pink rose that was atop Viccy's bag, then smiled at it and stood up to go get dinner as well.

"_Storm's my gullible idiot forever._"


End file.
